Wednesday, May 29, 2013

I did a staging job back in February, and I haven't shared one tiny little piece of interesting advice or dramatic before and after just yet. And you wouldn't think I would have fireplaces on the brain, but I've actually been using ours: it has been mid-50s, rainy, and grey.

Fireplace surrounds can be pricey, and I wanted to share this inexpensive fix.

My client had a surround that was really a family heirloom, and they planned to take it with them. We needed to install a replacement but didn't want to spring for wood to match the trim--which would have been a natural choice.

(before)

(after)

Instead, we bought one from mantelsdirect.com and painted it a color three steps down the paint card from the wall color.

Yes, you read that right: Mantelsdirect.com! I chose the profile that went best with the style of the moldings (The Yosemite, if you're curious) and customized it to fit my size requirements. (The tile was existing and we weren't messing with it.) A few weeks and less than $400 later, the mantel arrived, primed MDF, in nearly one piece. (I could have had them paint it for me, but since my painter was already knocking out the whole house, it made more sense to have him do it.)

I have to say, in a pinch this tonal paint solution really worked. The same mantel in solid wood would have run us at least times as much--not smart when you are staging, and not always possible even when you are staying put.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Not long ago, I wrote, partially joking, about what I would like to inherit from my mother. (Hint: she didn't own it yet.) In all seriousness, I have been very lucky in the items that have been passed down to me. The list is very long and very wonderful, and I am thrilled to have such personal items as my grandmother's gold leaf sconces and my husband's grandmother's quilts and cedar chest, not to mention a veritable treasure trove of my mother's castoffs.

There was one item I always adored as a child that actually went to my brother--the nerve! It was a sweet little desk that was my mom's growing up. I always loved it because of the small scale and eight little drawers atop the desk surface--perfect for stashing tiny treasures of all kinds.

Turns out, there were at least three of these desks, with the other two belonging to my mom's sister and cousin, and one just came home to roost. I had been looking for a desk to put between the beds in my girl's room, (see the small-scale desk round up here). and after almost buying two different options off craigslist, I am so much happier with this little heirloom!

The finish is pretty banged up so of course the question is, what to do? The headboard need to be re-done, so I am thinking white desk and chair (chalk paint for that Swedish, not a glossy finish), with more orange and pink on the headboards. OR neutral headboards and a limed finish, using this.

And sure enough: the girls love those little drawers as much as I did at their age. The 6 year old is stashing her glasses in one overnight, and the others are already stashed full of untold treasures.

Tell me: do you have pieces that have been handed down to you?

And more importantly: what would you do with this little desk?

Of course, it is STILL too cold here for painting and stripping and all those good projects, so I have some time to think on it.....

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Remember I mentioned the possibility of grasscloth on a client's ceiling.

It's happening. In a medium brown to match the wood trim on the windows, with tons of texture and variation. The walls, which are paneled, were just painted a warm white with a tiny bit of taupe. And the rest of the room will look something like this:

No, there won't be his-and-hers chaises. I often like to offer a choice.

Monday, May 20, 2013

Generally, I don't post pages from new issues of magazines. But when the most recent issue of Traditional Home just came, with an advertisement for their online publication tradhomemag.com, I was surprised that it went live May 12 and I have not read a peep about it in the blogosphere.

I dove in, and it's good!

You might remember that Traditional Home made its first foray into on-line publishing last year in a partnership with Lonny, here. This year they appear to be working solo, but the results are similar. The market pages have sources that were actually new to me (and at a price point that is workable), like this and this. Like last year, the well stories feature a bunch of "new traditionals": up and coming designers working on a traditional backbone, but infusing their own interpretation. Here are some of my favorite spaces from the issue.

(I love color, but there are lovely spaces on the neutral end of the spectrum as well!)

Julie Goldman

Julie Goldman

Frances Merrill

Frances Merrill

Andrew Maier

Kristin Rocke

Heather Garrett

I have to say, I also actually READ most of the articles, and learned a thing or two. The only thing I found a little strange is that the magazine still LOOKS like Lonny--especially the way page captions are done. I would have thought a redesign would be in order. But maybe next time?

Thursday, May 16, 2013

To be honest, I have been feeling pretty stumped for content lately (not to mention pressed for time and energy). But I love this forum and love connecting with you as close to daily as possible.

I've been thinking a bit about more ways to share content that I am producing anyway. I realized I really like it when other bloggers share their finds in a certain category, so I'm giving it a go, too.

We have made tons of progress over at this house, taking it in a different color direction with teal, raspberry, and grey. We are looking for a tall, leggy grey armchair--something without a huge footprint but with a lot of presence from it's height. While rounding up options, I thought I would turn it into a high/low thing.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

I have to say, there are so many different design ideas I have always wanted to use. Too many--and sometimes too conflicting--to put them all in my own home. So I love living vicariously through clients!

It looks like I will be getting to try out a long-time favorite with a new client.

Emily A. Clark

Marianne Simon

The Parker Palm Springs

That's right: grasscloth on the ceiling. Love it! The master bedroom was an addition and has a terrible acoustic tile-style ceiling. Fingers crossed that we can mask it with texture.

The walls are paneled, too, and I like the effect of mixing paneling in a light neutral with a warmer/richer color grass.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that I love almost every little thing in this fabulous room. I'll take it! Hold the small round rug and stark black and white photo, please.

On a side note, don't you love the restraint of just one perfect accent pillow? Unfussy perfection.

Also. (You know I can't write such a short post, right?) Looking back at posts of the girls room, I am having this moment where I go "what are you THINKING? It was basically FINISHED. TWICE." And then I sigh, and understand my husband's point of view a little bit better.

In my mother's defense, the wreath is heavy, and unwieldy, and there really isn't a great place to store it the eleven non-Christmas months of the year. Plus, she has never found just the right piece to hang above the fireplace.

I found the most gorgeous pair of Chinese ancestral portraits at a local antique shop. They are perfect and I love them so much I told her we should buy them together and each take one. I was convinced of the genius of this plan and had decided who gets which and where they go and then I came to my senses around the whole price tag thing and realized I can absolutely not afford even one corner of one and will just have to convince her to buy them both and to gift them to me in her will so I can inherit them in 40 years.

And so I went and dug up some amazing designer rooms featuring said portraits.

Miles Redd in Elle Decor via Tokyo Jinja

(Mom, are you reading this?)

Barrie Benson via Tokyo Jinja

Also, I think it should go without saying that if you find something awesome for a close family member, even if they pay for it, you should get first dibs should they ever want to give it up. Don't you think?

Friday, May 3, 2013

A little while back, I worked on a room design for a boy with severe allergies. They had a great, basic, solid wood furniture set, but with the outing of the cute "softs" (rug, windows, throw pillows), mom was struggling to bring in the life, color, and personality.

I did three complete designs, including desk, storage, lighting, and seating, but each had a dramatic "moment" as its starting point, in lieu of all those soft and patterned items that are oh-so-bad for allergies.

1. Wallpaper the ceiling

The milky way draws the eye up; pops of red paired with architectural elements put the emphasis on shape over pattern.

2. Paint stripes

The room was already green. Why not add broad white stripes to the walls? Keep additional furnishings streamlines and add whimsy with a marquee arrow and numbered bins.

3. How about a mural?

I've done it before(and before, and before) and I'll do it again: wallpaper one wall in an interesting and personally significant image, like the map of your hometown or a blow-up of your kids drawings. To play nice with the vintage street map, I included a french-flea-market inspired hamper for rolling lego storage, a vintage printers tray to display treasured objects, and a locker-desk and wheel-lamp. Nothing says whimsy like one thing used as another.

Sadly, none of these rooms are to be, as the family is likely moving. But it was fun to get creative without relying on some of the usual tricks of the trade to make a space sing.

About Me

Hi there.
I am a Minneapolis-based decorator and mother to two excellent girls. Though I work full time in this industry, I'm still a pretty big fangirl of all things interiors. Frankly, my family and friends can only take so much, so this is where I get into the nitty gritty to an unreasonable degree. Luckily the like-minded abound on the internet. I'm so glad you found me.